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"Early evidence suggests that there are trillions of dollars' worth of minerals and metals buried in asteroids that come close to the Earth
According to astrogeologist Jeffrey Kargel, a single metallic asteroid one half-mile in diameter could easily contain some 400,000 tons of platinum and related metals. Kargel calculated the Earth value of that cargo at $5 trillion
VAIL, Colorado - NASA has begun a fact-finding appraisal of how best to detect, track, catalogue and characterize near-Earth asteroids and comets--and what can be done to deflect an object found on course to strike our planet.
Originally posted by malcr
The satellite can't be in geosynchronous orbit. Think about it. Anything attached to the satellite adds weight (since it heads towards earth) and therefore the centre of gravity is no longer in the geo orbit. In order for this to work they have to build the satellite from the top down and balance the increasing drag downwards with a higher orbit which pulls outwards. In the end you have an elevator which if it broke in the middle would "throw" the satellite out into space. There is no way any structure is totally rigid. This means it flexes. This means the linear distance between the end points contracts. Thus pulls the satellite out of orbit. Again the only solution is to have the tension pulling outward from a heavy satellite in a high orbit.
Can it be done? Probably. But only from space downwards. So Japan needs a few resusable shuttles first. I wonder if Richard Branson is involved
Originally posted by snowen20
reply to post by DisabledVet
Point well received and acknowledged I agree especially having walked around that man made island myself.
I guess I’m at a loss for just how they will unravel a series of cables to and from space.
I mean pain in the ass to take it to space, less so to drop it from orbit.
However to drop it from orbit would you not need to have some kind of pseudo factory to manufacture the cable or whatever material is being used to ferry the elevator up and down?
Which leads me to another question, If you do have to make your own makeshift space port/station/factory, will you have to constantly shuttle resources to and from the earth?
[edit on 23-9-2008 by snowen20]
Originally posted by malcr
The satellite can't be in geosynchronous orbit. Think about it. Anything attached to the satellite adds weight (since it heads towards earth) and therefore the centre of gravity is no longer in the geo orbit.
Originally posted by drsmooth23
The coil of the lines would be so large once you get to the top. where and how would it be possible to house a coil with 22,000 miles worth of cordage? i have seen coils shorter than half a mile be bigger than mack trucks.
Originally posted by drsmooth23
also, lets just pretend that it travels at 200 miles an hour. thats still 4.58 days on the elevator.
"Yes, ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard NASA's Millennium-Two Space Elevator. Your first stop will be the Lunar-level platform before we continue on to the New Frontier Space Colony development. The entire ride will take about 5 hours, so sit back and enjoy the trip.